The Usefulness of Colonoscopy as a Colon Cancer Screening Test for Asymptomatic Adults / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the prevalence and location of colonic adenomatous polyps in asymptomatic adults. METHODS: A total of 2,849 asymptomatic adults underwent colonscopic screening as a part of health evaluation from January 2003 to September 2005. Completed questionnaires as well as the colonoscopic and pathologic findings were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 406 (14.3%) subjects with adenomatous polyps including 78 (2.7%) with advanced polyps. There was a trend toward an increased prevalence of adenomatous polyps with age. The relative risk of a proximal polyp according to the distal findings was 5.7 (95% CI 4.3 ~ 7.4) for adenoma, 4.9 (95% CI 3.0 ~ 7.7) for advanced adenoma compared with that for no adenomatous polyp. There were no index polyps at the distal colon in 30% of the 406 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Though distal polyps are associated with the proximal polyps, 30% of asymptomatic adults with proximal polyps are not associated with any distal index polyps. For those without any contraindication to the procedure, colonoscopy performed by experienced colonoscopists as a screening test is feasible for detecting those patients with colorectal polyps.

Gemcitabine-Induced Radiation Recall Dermato-Myositis / 결핵및호흡기질환

A radiation recall reaction refers to an inflammatory reaction at previous irradiated areas subsequent to the administration of a variety of pharmacological agents. The skin is the major site of radiation recall reactons with the muscle and internal organs being less commonly affected. These reactions usually occur days to weeks after exposure to the causative agents. We report a case of gemcitabine-induced radiation recall dermato-myositis the developed in a female patient with a metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. She had received a palliative radiation therapy of 3900 cGy to the metastatic lesion on the femur shaft prior to chemotherapy. The pain, swelling and erythema of the left thigh resolved after the cessation of gemcitabine and the use of a systemic steroid.